This application relates in general to systems for containing incidental electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and in particular to such a system including a computer chassis or the like for supplying wide band video signals to a video monitor.
It is well known that interconnecting cables undesirably radiate and are also susceptible to electromagnetic signals. For most applications, conventionally shielded interconnecting cables are adequate. In the presence of large electromagnetic signals, such as in a factory where heavy electrical machinery is in operation, fiber optic cables have been used to couple signals between separated points.
It is also known in the prior art to use a fiber optic cable link to couple a low data rate binary signal, between a pair of computer devices that have been individually arranged to contain incidental EMR of relatively low magnitude, for security reasons. The nature of a binary signal and the relatively low data rate employed permitted use of a relatively low cost, plastic fiber cable in that application without encountering excessive EMR levels.
Since most computer systems include a chassis that is physically removed from its associated video monitor, an interconnecting cable is required. As mentioned, such cables emit objectionable levels of EMR despite the use of very expensive shielding. An obvious solution to produce a system with very low EMR would be to incorporate the video monitor and the chassis in a common enclosure that is treated to contain EMR. This solution entails a great decrease in flexibility in terms of design and installation and is not considered practical. What the art requires and has failed to provide is a practical and economically feasible system for containing EMR in a system incorporating a physically separated chassis and a wide band video monitor. To provide flexibility, the system should also be coupled by separable connector devices.
The present invention solves the above problem in the art by the use of a plastic fiber optical link to interconnect the chassis and the video monitor. Both the chassis and the video monitor components are constructed to contain EMR and the inventive system incorporates a shielded connector socket, an electrical-to-optical transducer arrangement and a connector plug that preserves the EMR containment integrity of the components.